


Rules Meant To Be Broken

by hannelore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Duelling, F/M, HP Het Minifest 2020, Sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: An underground pure-blood duelling club for men only? Narcissa is tired of people telling her what she shouldn't be involved with, which includes Lucius Malfoy. When Lucius relents and takes her to the club, tonight seems to be a good night to prove everyone wrong.
Relationships: Narcissa Black/Lucius Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	Rules Meant To Be Broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ravenclawsquill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenclawsquill/gifts).



Narcissa hurried alongside Lucius, her fur-lined hood suddenly blown back by a cold blast of wind to her face. 

Lucius stopped for a moment and glanced down both directions of the adjacent street. "This way." He turned to the right and beckoned her to follow.

"Wouldn't it have just been easier to Apparate?"

"Against the rules," Lucius said, shooting a glance over his shoulder. "You _did_ memorize the rules, didn't you?"

"I know enough," Narcissa said, grumbling as she pulled her cloak around her against the chill. Lucius and folded his arms across his chest. Narcissa straightened her back and met his gaze. She could hear her friends' words of warning in her head; they'd repeated them more than once to her.

 _There's about a dozen or more just as handsome and rich, why not pick from them? Lucius Malfoy is never up to any good and_ everyone _knows it._

"You're going to tell me you don't think I'm qualified to go to this duelling club of yours," Narcissa said primly, cutting off Lucius as he opened his mouth to speak. "Yet you've seen me duel and I've _beaten_ you."

"My guard was down," Lucius said.

Narcissa laughed. "That wasn't the way I remembered it. Are we going to argue in the streets and freeze or go to the club?" 

Lucius let out an exasperated sigh, but then pointed his finger to an old house across the street.

"That's the place."

\---

"No women allowed." The tall, lanky man at the door looked no more than their own age. Probably fresh out of Hogwarts himself

"She is with me," Lucius said, tightening his fist around his wand. "I already spoke to Reginald about it—"

"And he already said _no._ " the man sneered at Narcissa, who was just standing behind Lucius. Narcissa stepped out from Lucius' shadow.

"I am shocked that he would refuse a lady from the noble house of Black," Narcissa said, her voice lilting and sweet. She'd seen her mother get her way like this and had learned her mannerisms at her knee. She preferred her mother's firm words to Bella's frequent tantrums.

"Sorry." The man's face went pale, his worried look flitting from Narcissa to Lucius. "But those are the rules."

"Of course," Narcissa said kindly. "We completely understand, but I think you'll find that tonight's duelling will be much more interesting if you let me in."

Narcissa noticed a bookie's pad tucked under the man's arm. "Imagine the kind of bets you'd be getting if some of your best duellists were to go up against somebody... new."

The man pushed the pad down deeper into his pocket at the mention of the bets as if to pretend it wasn't there, though Narcissa thought he seemed to be weighing his options.

"I'll make the first bet," Lucius spoke up. He pulled out a generous pile of Galleons from his pocket and held them out.

"Fine." The man looked around nervously as he held out his hand for the money first, then stepped aside to let them in.

Lucius held out his arm and Narcissa placed her hand upon it, smiling up at him fondly. He patted her gloved hand. This was something she did dearly admire about him. He had an older gentleman's grace that exceeded his years, something he seemed to only show to her. The more she knew about him, she saw a kind young man behind all the whispered tales and warnings. And after their interaction with the chucker-out, it solidified her confidence in him. 

\---

Four hours later, Narcissa's tight blonde bun was coming undone and she brushed a sweaty lock of hair away from her forehead as she climbed up upon the duelling stage once more. Finally, the man on the other end of the duelling stage was Lucius. He had been duelling others all evening and, like her, had won every one.

Narcissa drew herself up straight and brought her wand to the front of her, preparing for the salute. The noise around them was deafening and the man at the door was raking in the bets, judging by those clamoring around him with fistfuls of Galleons.

Lucius slashed his wand to the side: the sign of his readiness. Narcissa felt the heat in her cheeks grow. She very much wanted Lucius and not just for his bloodline. It had not been until he had talked to her about the duelling club that she wanted to duel as well. 

"If I win," Narcissa called out. "All pure-blood women shall be allowed to duel here as well."

There was a mixture of cheers and booing. Lucius held up his hand and the crowd fell quiet.

"There will be no need for such a demand," he said in a haughty drawl that she felt was for them, not her. 

"Because the lovely lady will not win this one."

"Perhaps," Narcissa said, raising an eyebrow. "But if I do?"

"Then I will make sure myself that your demands are met."

Reginald had been watching from afar all this time and Narcissa briefly caught his glance to see if he would protest Lucius' claim. He did not.

The duel began.

As it had started with the other duels, Narcissa was more nimble and agile than the men who had just lunged at each other with spells and curses. Despite her exhaustion, she spun and wove around the crackling spells that zoomed her way. No one, not even her parents, had known that Narcissa had practiced again and again with Bella in secret for this very moment. Ever since she had heard about the secret duelling club, every time she asked Lucius to take her and he had refused, she used that time to perfect her skills.

A Black's power came not just from her wand, but from her determination and will to never, ever give up or to give in. To find a way around the rules of others. Those were her mother's words, more powerful than any man's, and their magic burned within her like a roaring flame.

She saw beads of sweat on Lucius's forehead. She knew one slip or misstep would ruin this whole night for her. One of them would have to surrender. 

Lucius lunged and shouted, her ears ringing with the roar of his spells. Her counterspells deflected, parried, defended. But she did not defend herself as if she were backing down. Each move returned Lucius's own spells back to him with even more force. When not duelling with Bella, Narcissa had memorized the old tomes on her father's shelves of duelists who had defeated their opponents by using their own strength against them. To outlast them, to exhaust them. To attack _and_ defend.

Lucius conjured up a shield just in time as his own spell was deflected back at him, showering him in sparks. His arms seemed to tremble and his breathing was labored. Narcissa drew in a ragged breath of her own, gripping her wand tightly as she prepared for the next blow. But it did not come. Lucius bowed to her.

"I yield," he panted. "You win."

The duelling hall burst into cheers as Narcissa offered Lucius her hand. He looked at her with wonder, desire and awe. 

\---

"It's past midnight," Lucius said. He was limping a little, so they walked slowly. "Shouldn't I be getting you home?"

"I think I need a drink after that," Narcissa said, pointing over to a nearby pub.

Once they were seated at a small table in the corner, Narcissa could barely curl her aching fingers around the handle of her mug.

"You didn't throw the fight," Narcissa said. "Yet you surrendered before I hit you. Why?"

"It was _not_ hitting me that impressed me the most," Lucius said with a smile. "It wasn't just strength, but agility. You're incredibly skilled and if other women are even close to what you can do, well, we ought to see them up on the stage too."

"Maybe not _as good_ as me," Narcissa said with a grin.

"Obviously," Lucius smiled as he raised his glass to her. "I can only imagine how well our child would do under your tutelage." 

"Is that a proposal?" Narcissa laughed, though the flush of happiness made her cheeks feel warm.

"If it's all right that it's in a run-down pub and not down on one knee in your mother's garden," Lucius said with a grin.

"After tonight?" Narcissa said as she held his hand across the table. "It's _perfect._ "

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to ravenclawsquill for the prompt and inspirational additional info _"Lucius is a couple of years older and already a force to be reckoned with, but he's powerless when it comes to Narcissa."_ Many thanks to pauraque for the beta and to themightyflynn for the fest!


End file.
